What are some skills you didn't know you had until you started your first civilian job after military service?

Since my first job after the Military required you to start at the entry level position,my first work assignment was as a station cleaner in a power plant,one of the duties was cleaning bathrooms,let me say ,my skill at cleaning latrines in the Military put me heads (no pun intended) and shoulders above the rest!

Narration. I worked at a company producing interactive multimedia instruction (computer-based training, basically). I was given a script to record just my regular voice in which I was supposed to portray a sergeant. I did that, but the script also had lines for a local national and even though they didn't ask me to do those, I went ahead and recorded them as well. A week later, they were trying to find out who had recorded the local national character, thinking they had farmed it out to a temporary contractor employee. I had to tell them it was me. I recorded all kinds of voices after that.

I never realized I had the ability to keep a calm head in a crisis situation. People panic over the smallest things...mything is anyone hurt or dying and needing medical attention right away..if no, it ain't a big deal and we will work through it. A two day dealine is not a crisis it is a challenge. I thought that was normal...It isn't. I also have the ability to focus on a mission and get it done or find a way it can get done versus blowing it off and procrastinating...something that has rubbed off on some of my coworkers. The last thing is initiative...doing it when it needs to be done without being told to do it.

Maj Marty Hogan
Lt Col Charlie Brown
1stSgt Glenn Brackin
Cpl Craig Marton
SGM Erik Marquez
MAJ James Woods
SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4"
LTC Stephen C.
CPL Dave Hoover
SFC Shirley Whitfield
SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas
SFC (Join to see)
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Sgt Wayne Wood
PVT James Strait

Two things

1) It wasn't so much that I realized I had a skill, Instead, I realized that many, possibly most don't have this skill, - How to conduct yourself on the same side of a fence with an animal big enough to kill you. You can actually make a pretty penny teaching people how to not getting a mud hole stomped in their ass by a bull, steer or heifer, horse, sow, buck goat, or ram.

2) As an EMT, the Volunteer Fire Department and on occasion the Sheriff's Department has decided to let me deal with uncontrollably distraught or potentially combative victims and by-standers. A deputy once said he'd rather let me talk the drunk 275lb MMA amateur fighter into cuffing himself and getting in the patrol car than half a dozen deputies making it happen.

Training new people and having the ability to say they are a "go" or "no go" prior to wasting any significant time on the no goes.

Set design. But 75% of that I can credit to the Army for my attention to detail and pre-planning skills.

SFC Jason Evans I worked at a chemical plant as an operator. There were 100 applicants interviewed for two high paying job, and I was fortunate to be one of the two hires. I was hired because of my communication skills, mechanical aptitude, discipline, and determination. I worked on my degree at the same time, and as soon as I obtained it, I quit working at the chemical plant and started my dream job at a much lower starting salary.

The one thing I'd say is your ability to see the big picture. Most civilian workers know nothing about a company but the small part they are directly involved with. The ability to do what needs to be done when you encounter a situation is a close second, but you need to be careful with that ìf you're in a union shop environment.

focus.

Multi-tasking! The ability to focus on more than one item at a time has served me well. Prioritizing! understanding what is important (true deadline vs. self imposed arbitrary deadline).